Dear MASH Parents and Guardians,

It was a lovely few days this week with our students.  It was great for our staff to connect with them during their CREW advisory sessions this morning.  Students participated in community building activities during this 30-minute morning session.   We look forward to seeing our students back in the new year!

As a reminder, Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School will be closed for winter break beginning Wednesday, December 24, and we will welcome students back on Monday, January 5, 2026.   As we move into January, families are encouraged to review our Keystone Exam / ACCESS Exam information, which was shared in an earlier newsletter and can be found here:
https://mechanicsburgasdpa.edurooms.com/engage/mechanicsburg-area-senior-high-school/newsletters/keystone-exam-information-2025-2026

Additionally, please note that we will be operating on modified schedules on the following dates:

January 6 - Literature Keystone / Algebra Keystone / ACCESS Testing (English Learners)

January 7 - Literature Keystone / Algebra Keystone / ACCESS Testing (English Learners)

January 9 - Staff Only Day - No MASH Classes - Semester Transition Day / Records Review Day for Staff

January 10 - First Day of Semester Two / CREW Schedule

January 13 - Biology Keystone / ACCESS Testing (English Learners)

January 14 - Biology Keystone

A detailed view of these modified schedules is included below for your planning purposes.  Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We wish you and your family a safe, restful, and joyful holiday season.

Warm regards and Happy Holidays!

Joseph Reidy
Principal, MASH

Monday, January 5- Cycle Day 4

Regular Schedule

I/E Period

Tuesday, January 6 - Cycle Day 5

Modified Testing Schedule (No IE Period) --- See details below.

Wednesday, January 7 - Cycle Day 6 Rotation #4

Modified Testing Schedule (No IE Period) --- See details below.

Thursday, January 8th - Cycle Day 1

End of Marking Period 2

Friday, January 9th - No School for MASH Students

Staff Semester Transition Day (e.g. Records Review / Semester Two Prep)

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 – Day 5 (Modified Exam Schedule)

Testing Module Period 5 - 8:20 – 10:20 - Keystone Literature and Algebra – Module I Testing / ACCESS Listening Exam

All students scheduled for Keystone Exams testing report to testing locations (locations communicated with students prior to winter break).

Students in Grade 9 and 10 not taking Literature or Algebra Keystone Testing- Report to their Period 5 Assignment.

Select 11th grade students re-testing the Literature or Algebra Keystone Exam will report to their exam locations.

Students in Grade 11 and 12 who have a Period 5 Class Must Report to the Scheduled Class (Not Study Halls).

Specific seniors will be scheduled to the building if they need intervention (Grad Project, Act 158, or any other academic/attendance/behavioral)

Any other Seniors and Juniors without a Scheduled Period 5 Class or Exam – Late Arrival (Report to Main Gym by 10:00am for attendance procedures). Seniors who have senior alternative without a scheduled period 1 class can arrive for their period 2 class.

Period 1 10:25 – 11:20

Period 2 11:25 – 1:25 (4 Lunches)

11:25 – 11:55          Lunch 1  - CTC, Music, TE, Art, 300 Block

11:55 – 12:25          Lunch 2 – 200 Block

12:25 – 12:55          Lunch 3 – 100 Block

12:55 – 1:25            Lunch 4 – PE, FCS, Science, 400 Block

Period 3 1:30 – 2:20

Period 4 2:25 – 3:15 (No IE Period)

Wednesday, January 7, 2026 –Day 6, Rt#4  (Modified Exam Schedule)

Testing Module Period 5 - 8:20 – 10:20 - Keystone Literature and Algebra – Module 2 / ACCESS Reading Exam

All students scheduled for Keystone Exams testing report to testing locations (locations communicated prior to winter break).

Students in Grade 9 and 10 not taking Literature or Algebra Keystone - Report to their Period 5 Assignment.

Select 11th grade students re-testing the Literature or Algebra Keystone Exam will report to their exam locations.

Students in Grade 11 and 12 who have a Period 5 Class Must Report to the Scheduled Class (Not Study Halls).

Specific seniors will be scheduled to the building if they need intervention (Grad Project, Act 158, or any other academic/attendance/behavioral)

Any other Seniors and Juniors without a Scheduled Period 5 Class or Exam – Late Arrival. (Report to Main Gym by 10:00am for attendance procedures).

Period 2 10:25 – 11:20

Period 1 11:25 – 1:25 (4 Lunches)

11:25 – 11:55          Lunch 1  - CTC, Music, TE, Art, 300 Block

11:55 – 12:25          Lunch 2 – 200 Block

12:25 – 12:55          Lunch 3 – 100 Block

12:55 – 1:25            Lunch 4 – PE, FCS, Science, 400 Block

Period 3 1:30 – 2:20

Period 4 2:25 – 3:15 (No IE Period)

Monday, January 12, 2026 - First Day of Semester Two

- Students will report to CREW period at 11am. We added this session to the schedule. 

- All students will receive a paper copy of their semester two schedule on Thursday, January 8th. 

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 – Day 3 (Modified Exam Schedule)

Testing Module Period 6 - 8:20 – 10:20 - Keystone Biology – Module 1 / ACCESS Speaking Exam

All students scheduled for Keystone Exams testing report to testing locations (locations communicated prior to winter break).

Students in Grade 9 and 10 not taking Bio Keystone- Report to their Period 6 Assignment.

Select 11th grade students re-testing the Bio Keystone Exam will report to their exam locations.

Students in Grade 11 and 12 who have a Period 6 Class Must Report to the Scheduled Class (Not Study Halls).

Specific seniors will be scheduled to the building if they need intervention (Grad Project, Act 158, or any other academic/attendance/behavioral)

Any other Seniors and Juniors without a Scheduled Period 6 Class or Exam – Late Arrival. (Report to Main Gym by 10:00am for attendance procedures).

Period 1 10:25 – 11:20

Period 2  11:25 – 1:25 (4 Lunches)

11:25 – 11:55          Lunch 1  - CTC, Music, TE, Art, 300 Block

11:55 – 12:25          Lunch 2 – 200 Block

12:25 – 12:55          Lunch 3 – 100 Block

12:55 – 1:25            Lunch 4 – PE, FCS, Science, 400 Block

Period 3 1:30 – 2:20

Period 4 2:25 – 3:15 (No IE Period)

Wednesday, January 14, 2026– Day 4 (Modified Exam Schedule)

Testing Module Period 6 - 8:20 – 10:20 - Keystone Biology – Module 2 / ACCESS Writing Exam

All students scheduled for Keystone Exams testing report to testing locations (locations communicated prior to winter break).

Students in Grade 9 and 10 not taking Bio Keystone - Report to their Period 6 Assignment.

Select 11th grade students re-testing the Bio Keystone Exam will report to their exam locations.

Students in Grade 11 and 12 who have a Period 6 Class Must Report to the Scheduled Class (Not Study Halls).

Specific seniors will be scheduled to the building if they need intervention (Grad Project, Act 158, or any other academic/attendance/behavioral)

Any other Seniors and Juniors without a Scheduled Period 6 Class or Exam – Late Arrival. (Report to Main Gym by 10:00am for attendance procedures).

Period 2 10:25 – 11:20

Period 1  11:25 – 1:25 (4 Lunches)

11:25 – 11:55          Lunch 1  - CTC, Music, TE, Art, 300 Block

11:55 – 12:25          Lunch 2 – 200 Block

12:25 – 12:55          Lunch 3 – 100 Block

12:55 – 1:25            Lunch 4 – PE, FCS, Science, 400 Block

Period 3 1:30 – 2:20

Period 4 2:25 – 3:15 (No IE Period)

Thursday, January 15, 2026 – Day 5 (Regular Schedule / Keystone Make-Ups)

Friday, January 16, 2026 – Day 6, Rt#5 (Regular Schedule / Keystone Make-Ups)

Please revisit our newsletter from early December to review our MASH Inclement Weather schedules. 

We've been working this year with a concept called 'rolling announcements' that are updated throughout the week. These slides are streamed throughout the building and will eventually be shared on our website for students and families to see. One of our goals at MASH is to help students find belonging to their learning community - both at MASH and in our global society.

Information includes updates about extra-curriculars, athletics, college/career info, along with monthly focuses such as 'overcoming challenges.'

Please check our slides out here.

The purpose of Operation Wildcat is to pool the resources of the community to help school district students, families and staff in need.

In the spring of 2006, the Mechanicsburg Area School District PTOs and Parent Advisory Committee members began Operation Wildcat to help local students and families in need.  District administration has provided a storage site for Operation Wildcat at Mechanicsburg Middle School.  With the support of the school board, district administration and staff, Operation Wildcat is working to help to pool the MASD community resources to help local families in need on an on-going basis.

If you would like to get involved in, have items to donate to or have questions about Operation Wildcat, please contact Leslie Collins, any of the project coordinators or email us at  operationwildcatmasd@gmail.com.

If you need assistance please contact your child's school counselor.

For more Information about what we do, what we offer to families, or how you can be involved click here.

To maintain federally mandated ADA compliance and allow for easy translation, monthly menus will no longer be shared as downloadable PDFs on our website or through other digital platforms (Seesaw, email, newsletters, etc). Instead, families can view fully accessible, easy-to-translate digital menus directly on the district website or in the mobile app:

On the website: Go to your child’s school webpage, click Menu, then Dining. Or, from the school’s homepage, click the Dining button located just below the main photo.

In the app: Select your child’s school, tap More, then Dining.

Need help accessing menus?

Click here to watch how to access menus from a desktop.

Click here to watch how to access menus from the mobile app.

Click here to learn how to set your default school of choice in the app.

Thank you for helping us keep menus accessible and translatable for all families.

Check out the November Issue of the MASH Student Newspaper, THE TORCH .

Thank you for your continued partnership with us to educate your child. Our top priority every day is to ensure that your child has a safe and healthy learning experience. We utilize our lines of communication between home and school as part of this process to reinforce safety. Please see a few reminders below that will help us in our shared efforts.

It is important to avoid blindly sharing rumors and posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if the threats are not credible, they can still cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about appropriate online behaviors.

We all play a vital role in school safety. We ask that our families, staff, and students continue to remain vigilant and report any concerning behavior or messaging. The best method to report an issue is to notify your child’s teacher or administrator. If the concern occurs after hours and is of an emergent nature or you wish to remain anonymous, then you can report a concern through the Safe2Say program (through the Safe2Say app, www.safe2saypa.org or by calling 1-844-723-2729).

Remain confident that we will reach out to you should there ever be a cause for concern. Be sure to keep your information updated within the Sapphire Parent Portal to ensure you get school and district messages.

Safe School Drills

MASH conducts evacuation drills, relocation drills, and assorted other safety drills monthly. Also, once per semester, we conduct lockdown drills. All drills are conducted in accordance with MASD safety protocols. Additionally, the Mechanicsburg Police Department often attend to monitor and provide feedback. During these next few weeks of school, we will run a lock down drill and also review procedures for 'secure in place' and a 'code blue' health emergency drill. With each drill, we also utilize our time before and after the activity to review best practices in situational awareness in public settings.

Fall Newsletter from our MASH Nurses

Please read our MASH Newsletter that contains information about early dismissals due to health concerns, Sapphire updates, and information about how to connect with our nurses.

Student Absent?

Email: mashattendance@mbgsd.org

Call: 717-691-4542

Attendance Secretary: Joanne Johnson

A Phone Call is Not Enough: PA Law requires a written note or email within 3 days of an absence. Must include students name, the date of the absence, and a reason for the absence.

Doctor Note Required: For 3 plus absent days in a row to confirm illness

Appointments Not Excused: Driving Lessons and Drivers/Permit Tests should be scheduled outside of school hours as they are not an excusable absence

Educational Trips: Complete form 1 week before trip, Maximum of 10 days per school year

College Visit: Complete form 3 days before visit

CPACTC Students:

Email: Attendance@cpavts.org

Call: 717-697-0354 extension 106

Please contact both MASH and CTC of absences in writing by note or email

Attendance forms can be found on high school website

Bus Traffic

All Bus traffic, aside from athletic dismissals, will arrive and depart from the rear bus ramp off of Longmeadow St. This portion of campus is reserved for bus traffic and essential services (deliveries, trash removal, etc.). There will be no parent/student drop-off or pick-up on the bus loop.

Student Driver Traffic

The rear parking lot is reserved for student and staff parking during the school day.

This is not an acceptable location to drop-off students during morning arrival (7:45 – 8:30).

If you are dropping your child off in the morning, you must do so at the front entrance off Broad Street (see “Drop-Off/Pick-Up Traffic” below). Following this expectation is in best interest of all drivers and pedestrians on campus. Gate #4 will be closed during the morning arrival time to prevent traffic from approaching the WAC and school. This is to ensure that students have a safe thoroughfare to enter the school.

Drop-Off/Pick-Up Traffic

The front of the high school has been enhanced to allow for more traffic for student drop off without clogging up Broad St. and the intersections nearby. Parents dropping off will proceed through the front lot and circle to the front entrance to drop-off their child. Vehicles should pull all the way up to the Natatorium (Pool) entrance before having their student depart the vehicle. This will allow more vehicles to move through the line quickly.  We are noticing an uptick in later drop-offs at the front of our building. 

Gate #1 on the map will close from approximately 7:45 until 8:30, and again each afternoon from 2:15 until 3:15 to direct traffic through the front lot. Through the remainder of the day, vehicles may proceed around the circle to go directly to the front entrance.

The road running between the building and the tennis courts will remain closed by gates #2 and #3 throughout the school day.

Student Parking Lot Updates

• School Security checked student vehicles parked in our lot this past month. Student drivers must complete the registration process. This information was shared earlier this school year and is located in the main office for students. We continue to communicate this reminder. Tickets of vehicles will start in November should any car not be registered.

• All students must complete their parking registration by the end of September. We extended the date for them to complete the form. Extra forms handed out at the beginning of the school year for students are found in the main office. Ticketing will begin in early November for students who have not completed their registration form. This information helps to reinforce our safe campus processes.